Pen and pen needle adapter with feature to improve access to packaged needle assembly

Abstract

An injection pen, or an adapter for an injector pen, configured to connect at its distal end with a needle assembly, and having a tubular wall comprising a through cut from the distal end to pierce and capture barrier material covering needle assembly packaging containing a needle assembly in a cavity therein. The though cut has an opening with an edge that scythes the barrier material when the hub is pressed against the needle assembly packaging to access the needle assembly. The edge can have a tooth for piercing the barrier material. The opening can be dimensioned and shaped and angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the pen or adapter to facilitate capturing scythed barrier material and guiding it away from the needle assembly to ensure the pierced barrier material does not hinder connection of the needle assembly to the pen or adapter.

1 . An injection pen, comprising:
 a pen body comprising a tubular wall having a proximal end, and an opposite distal end configured to be connected to a needle assembly;   wherein the distal end of the tubular wall comprises a through cut, the through cut defining an opening in the tubular wall, the through cut having an edge configured to pierce barrier material provided on needle assembly packaging when the distal end is depressed against the needle assembly packaging to access a needle assembly stored therein, and the opening of the through cut being configured to receive barrier material after it has been pierced to guide it away from the needle assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The injection pen of  claim 1 , wherein the edge of the through cut comprises a tooth that extends from the distal end. 
     
     
         3 . The injection pen of  claim 1 , wherein the tooth extends from the distal end by a distance corresponding to at least the thickness of the barrier material. 
     
     
         4 . The injection pen of  claim 1 , wherein the tooth comprises a pointed tip. 
     
     
         5 . The injection pen of  claim 1 , wherein the tooth comprises a rounded tip. 
     
     
         6 . The injection pen of  claim 1 , wherein the edge of the through cut comprises a scything edge along at least one side of the opening. 
     
     
         7 . The injection pen of  claim 1 , wherein the opening of the through cut has an arcuate shape. 
     
     
         8 . The injection pen of  claim 1 , wherein the opening of the through cut has a straight shape. 
     
     
         9 . The injection pen of  claim 1 , wherein the through cut is disposed in the tubular wall at a designated angle between a longitudinal axis of the pen body and a perpendicular axis at the distal end. 
     
     
         10 . The injection pen of  claim 9 , wherein the designated angle is selected to capture the barrier material after being pierced by the edge of the through cut and guide the barrier material away from the needle assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The injection pen of  claim 1 , wherein the through cut has a distal end adjacent the distal end of the pen body and a proximal end that is opposite the distal end of the through cut, and the opening extends between the distal end of the through cut and the proximal end of the through cut; and
 wherein the through cut is arranged in a selected one of a first direction and a second direction, the first direction allowing the distal end of the through cut to precede the proximal end of the through cut when the pen is rotated in a clockwise direction about its longitudinal axis, and the second direction allowing the distal end of the through cut to precede the proximal end of the through cut when the pen is rotated in a counterclockwise direction about its longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         12 . The injection pen of  claim 1 , wherein the distal end is dimensioned to fit in a cavity of the needle assembly packaging in which a needle assembly is stored and to receive at least part of the needle assembly. 
     
     
         13 . An adapter for an injection pen, the adapter comprising:
 a hub comprising a tubular wall having a proximal end configured to be connected to an injection pen and a distal end configured to be connected to a needle assembly, the tubular wall defining a channel therein that extends between the proximal end and the distal end and along a longitudinal axis of the hub, the channel being configured to receive at least part of a needle assembly therein;   wherein the distal end of the tubular wall comprises a through cut, the through cut defining an opening in the tubular wall, the through cut having an edge configured to pierce barrier material provided on needle assembly packaging when the huh is depressed against the needle assembly packaging to access a needle assembly stored therein, and the opening of the through cut being configured to receive barrier material after it has been pierced to guide it away from the needle assembly.   
     
     
         14 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the edge of the through cut comprises a tooth that extends from the distal end of the hub. 
     
     
         15 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the tooth extends from the distal end of the hub by a distance corresponding to at least the thickness of the barrier material. 
     
     
         16 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the tooth comprises a pointed tip. 
     
     
         17 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the tooth comprises a rounded tip. 
     
     
         18 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the edge of the through cut comprises a scything edge along at least one side of the opening. 
     
     
         19 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the opening of the through cut has an arcuate shape. 
     
     
         20 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the opening of the through cut has a straight shape. 
     
     
         21 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the through cut is disposed in the tubular wall at a designated angle between the longitudinal axis of the hub and a perpendicular axis at the distal end of the hub. 
     
     
         22 . The adapter of  claim 21 , wherein the designated angle is selected to capture the barrier material after being pierced by the edge of the through cut and guide the barrier material away from the needle assembly. 
     
     
         23 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the through cut has a distal end adjacent the distal end of the hub and a proximal end that is opposite the distal end of the through cut, and the opening extends between the distal end of the through cut and the proximal end of the through cut; and
 wherein the through cut is arranged in a selected one of a first direction and a second direction, the first direction allowing the distal end of the through cut to precede the proximal end of the through cut when the hub is rotated in a clockwise direction about the longitudinal axis, and the second direction allowing the distal end of the through cut to precede the proximal end of the through cut when the hub is rotated in a counterclockwise direction about the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         24 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the hub is dimensioned at its proximal end to mate with a pen. 
     
     
         25 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the hub has a post section at its distal end that is dimensioned to fit in a cavity of the needle assembly packaging in which a needle assembly is stored and to receive at least part of the needle assembly; and
 wherein the through cut is disposed in the post section of the hub.